Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Survey of preferences'

Software development is a demanding task where developers face great challenges. Development tools are expected to be user-friendly. However, little research has been done to understand developers’ needs and priorities when it comes to such tools, so called Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). It is important to gain a better insight into developers’ prioritization of IDE qualities, in order to be able to make such tools more efficient and better tailored to their users’ real needs. The objective of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of software developers’ perspective regarding IDEs with the goal of facilitating further improvements of these tools. This thesis report presents the results of a quantitative survey, responded by twenty professional software developers, which focuses on developers’ prioritization of qualities in adopted IDEs and their perceived satisfaction with the qualities themselves and the IDEs overall. Moreover, we investigate whether limiting developers’ choice of IDE also affects their overall satisfaction of chosen IDEs. By analyzing the results, we conclude that developers perceive reliability, ease of use and efficiency as, on one hand the most important qualities of IDEs, and on the other hand those most in need of improvements. The results also suggest that developers’ satisfaction with their IDEs is not significantly affected by limiting their choice of development tools.

The objective of this study was to evaluate parents’ preferences of the appearance and attire of orthodontists. Six subjects were asked to pose for photographs wearing various combinations of attire (casual, scrubs, white coat, formal), hairstyle and nametag. Survey participants were presented with choice sets and asked to select the most and least preferred provider photographs. A total of 77 parents of orthodontic patients participated in the computer-based survey. The results indicated that there were significant differences due to provider sex (P = 0.0013), provider age (P < .0001), dress (P < .0001), nametag (P = 0.0065) and hair (P < .0001). The most preferred providers were the younger female and the older male. Formal attire or scrubs was the most preferred style of dress. There was also a preference for the use of a nametag and for the provider to have his/her hair in a controlled style.

Green bonds are a type of bonds that are designated for investment projects that have a positive effect on the environment. Such projects could be preventing climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, increasing energy-efficiency, or improving waste management. Green bonds have risen considerably in issued volume in recent years. Sweden has been one of the forerunners in this development and the interest towards these products seems to be high among individual Swedish investors. Initially, investors in green bonds have been mainly financial institutions, but there are an increasing number of mutual funds, which are aimed for retail banking customers as well. Previous research in socially responsible investing has not paid attention to green bonds from the perspective of the private, individual investor. This study is aimed to study potential individual green bond investors in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to answer the research question of who the typical Swedish green bond investors are, based on demographic characters. As research sub-questions, the thesis also answered questions regarding perceived risk and return on green bonds, and the effect of environmental attitude and behaviour on potential green bond investments. The study was carried out as an Internet survey by means of a questionnaire directed to Swedish investors. In total, 66 respondents answered the survey, which was analysed by bivariate and multivariate methods. Among the demographic factors, two were found statistically significant, age, and parenthood. In this sample younger investors (age less than 39), were found to prefer investing in green bonds, compared to older investors. Secondly, the fact of being a non-parent turned out to be a distinctive feature of current and potential investors in green bonds. The results regarding the first research sub-question, showed that the individual investors do not perceive green bonds to be more or less risky or give more or less return than comparable conventional bonds. The second research sub-question regarding environmental attitude and behaviour, showed a significant difference between those who showed a strong pro-environmental behaviour, as opposed to those who showed a weaker pro-environmental behaviour. The conclusion about the influence of environmental attitudes was that it did not have an effect on potential green bond investments.

After a series of major storms over the last 20 years, the state of financing for U.S. natural disaster insurance has undergone substantial disruptions causing many federal and state backed programs against residential property damage to become severally underfunded. In order to regain actuarial soundness, policy makers have proposed a shift to a system that reflects risk-based pricing for property insurance. We examine survey responses from 1394 single-family homeowners in the state of Florida for support of several natural disaster mitigation policy reforms. Utilizing a partial proportional odds model we test for effects of location, risk perception, socio-economic and housing characteristics on support for policy reforms. Our findings suggest residents across the state, not just risk-prone homeowners, support the current subsidized model. We also examine several other policy questions from the survey to verify our initial results. Finally, the implications of our findings are discussed to provide inputs to policymakers.

For many years, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has managed freshwater fisheries without fully understanding their stakeholders. To increase its knowledge and improve management, the VDGIF commissioned a market segmentation study to collect baseline information about its constituents and serve as a model for future studies. I developed a 16-page mail questionnaire that was sent to a stratified random sample of 5,378 Virginia resident freshwater fishing license holders. The questionnaire was use to collect information on characteristics, motivations, attitudes, and preferences of Virginia resident freshwater anglers. The response rate was 52%. I examined the descriptive characteristics of resident freshwater anglers and anglers who purchased different types of licenses and anglers from different management regions. Differences in fishing behaviors, motivations for fishing, attitudes, and preferences for management existed among anglers based on license type and regions. Although satisfaction with freshwater fishing was high, in most cases, many anglers believed that fishing quality had declined. By adopting a marketing approach and providing the desired experiences to each segment of anglers, the Fisheries Division may improve its relationship with anglers, as well as increase participation and satisfaction. I also segmented the Virginia anglers by species preference, specialization, and a multi-level approach that involved a combination of species preference and specialization. Anglers are not a homogenous group and they seek different experiences. Multi-level segmentation was the most useful method of segmentation because it identified within-species preference group differences. Within each species preference group I found several segments of anglers. Segments differed in their orientations (trophy or consumptive), preferred methods of fishing and information sources, and support for regulations. Specialist anglers from each species preference group were trophy oriented and some were consumptive oriented as well. Specialists also were the most supportive of restrictive regulations. Less specialized anglers in each species preference group generally were less trophy oriented, more consumptive, and less supportive of regulations than specialist anglers. My results provide better understanding of the different segments of anglers within each species preference group, which will allow managers to provide a more satisfying experience for their stakeholders.<br>Master of Science

This thesis begins with an introduction to performance management and the intended aim and objective of the research. Thereafter literature findings relative to performance management and performance management systems are discussed. In the review of literature, three processes that could be implemented in a performance management system were highlighted, namely; (1) the planning process, (2) the monitoring and development process, and (3) an annual summative and feedback process. Performance management functions deemed important to employees during each process of the performance management system were identified and discussed. Subsequent to the literature review, the research methodology was described and involved the implementation of quantitative research within a post-positivist paradigm in the form of a close-ended survey questionnaire. Analysis of the data involved a gap analysis and needs analysis. The gap analysis study was based on the opinion of management respondents in comparison to the opinion of non-management respondents. Results of the gap analysis were determined based on the calculation of an importance score for each sub-group. The needs analysis study was based on the overall opinion of all respondents, and results were determined based on the calculation of an overall importance score. In light of the literature review that was conducted to inform the questionnaire design, the survey results supported the literature review of each discussed performance management function with no evident contradictions. The results of the gap analysis and needs analysis were satisfactorily met for each performance management function. On the basis of these findings, it was assumed that all the performance management functions identified in the literature are important and could be implemented in the design of a performance management system. The results highlighted the importance of a performance plan and development plan to underpin the performance management system.

Promoting participation in EHAPs (employee health and assistance programs) by those employees most in need of health improvements is important to increasing the effectiveness of these programs. Programs which are designed to reduce perceived barriers to participation and to meet the specific needs and interests of these employees have resulted in higher participation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which demographics and perceived health status were associated with employees preferences and perceptions of EHAPs. This was done through survey analysis of four hundred and one employees of a municipal government. It was found that there were no significant differences in employees' anticipated use of these programs based on any of the demographic or perceived health variables studied with the exception of the variable "current frequency of exercise". However, different interests in program components were apparent among the various sub-groups of employees. There were also reported differences among the sub-groups for preferred program times and facilities. There were significant differences among some of the sub-groups in reported barriers to the use of EAPs and in reported comfort in exercising with fellow workers. It was also found that current frequency of exercise was significantly related to perceived health status. From these observations, recommendations for promoting participation among these sub-groups have been made. This research has added to the understanding of the differences between the various sub-groups of employees in terms of their preferences for EHAP components and the barriers they perceive toward participating in these programs. A better understanding of these factors as they pertain to employees in other workplaces may aid in the development of programs which better meet the needs of these employees, and hence, may increase their participation in EHAPs.<br>Education, Faculty of<br>Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of<br>Graduate

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Many would agree that English has become a global language that has spread all over the world. English has been the primary foreign language in the Swedish school curriculum since the Second World War and most Swedes have some English language proficiency. Today, Swedes are not only subjected to English in school, but also come across English every day in media, in the streets or at work.</p><p>A number of studies have been done on how Swedish students use English and of their attitudes towards it, but not much on how Swedes that are no longer under school influence view the matter. This study has examined the attitudes and preferences towards English among 60 adults. Most of them have a positive attitude towards English and believe that the use of English in Sweden will increase in the future. Even so, they show little concern that English might be a future threat towards Swedish.</p><p>Both men and women find media as their primary source of English influence and there was only one minor difference to be noted when comparing attitudes between different age groups. The older female informants reported to use less English and have lower skills than the rest. No such trend was seen among the men belonging to the same age group. Besides this, some interesting gender differences were seen. The female informants reported to have a stronger preference for British English and the male informants showed preference for American English. These gender differences would be interesting to study further.</p>

The subject of this thesis was philosophies to treatment or lack of treatment of shortened dental arches. The principal aim of the studies reported in this thesis was to investigate dentists' treatment preferences, dentists' current practice and patients' preferences with respect to the different treatment options for the shortened dental arch (SDA). The objectives of the study were: To review the literature related to the different treatment options for the SDAs. To determine, via a questionnaire, how dentists would treat SDA patients under the clinical scenario, depending on age. To investigate, via visits to dental laboratories, how dentists were seen to have actually treated patients with SDAs. To determine how patients value the outcomes of different treatment options for the SDAs, based on a questionnaire and laboratory models of a variety of clinical treatment options. To compare the perception of dentists and patients to treatment options for the SDAs. The comparison between the results of the three studies presented in this thesis indicated a gap between what the dentists prefer and practise and what the patients prefer and value. This finding, coupled with the fact that decision-making for the treatment options for patients with SDAs is fraught with uncertainties, would emphasise the need for more active communication. between patients and dentists when planning the restorative dental treatment for the SDAs. This could be the optimal approach towards achieving the best treatment outcome.

Bibliography: pages [50-58].<br>The present study investigates the attitudes and beliefs of children about potentially disclosing intrafamilial abuse. The sample was drawn from the peri-urban settlement of Mdantsane and the rural villages of Nowawe. A pilot study involving 28 children in qualitative interviews was conducted. Content analysis of these answers were used to compile a questionnaire which was administered to 489 children by locally trained fieldworkers. The questionnaire contained questions pertaining to demographics, health, social support, and closed-ended Likert scales for the measurement of beliefs and intentions about disclosing intrafamilial abuse. Two open-ended questions were included to investigate children's preferences about the outcome of disclosing abuse. Children's experience of safety in and out of home, as well as their preferences about who to disclose to, were also measured. Questions pertaining to family and to abuse were asked in a way that allowed individual children to define the parameters of these concepts rather than assuming definitions for them. The results were analysed descriptively for the total sample. Where the data was examined for relationships and differences according to age, sex and where the children lived, Chi-square and ANOV A tests were conducted. In the case of significant findings, post-hoc analysis was carried out using residual analysis and the Newman-Keuls procedure, respectively. The findings revealed that 88% of the sample intended to report intrafamilial abuse if this happened to them, but only half expected to be believed. Strong variations in beliefs and intentions were found to exist on the basis of where children lived, with children from the poorest and oldest settlement in Mdantsane consistently emerging as less trusting of their environment and therefore less able to seek help, as compared to children living in the informal settlement or the affluent neighbourhood. Older children were found to differ from younger ones on the basis of being less confident that they would be believed if they were to disclose. The main difference between male and female children involved variations in their beliefs about whether there would be consequences for the abuser and themselves if they reported abuse. Overall, the degree of duality and contradictions as regards how children wanted to respond to intrafamilial abuse, and what they believed to be the consequences of disclosing this, point to the importance of developing services that can adapt to differences between communities and groupings within these communities rather than responding in a homogenous manner to all incidents of child abuse. Limitations associated with survey methodology and interviewer bias are acknowledged.

The wildland fire risk in Arizona is increasing due to shifting land uses, growing residential communities, and changing climate. As the fire hazard increases, land managers and fire educators are faced with educating wildland-urban interface residents about their risk to influence homeowner behavior. To determine how homeowners perceive their risk and what information they use to make decisions about risk and mitigation, this study surveyed residents in previously identified high risk areas in Arizona in three different vegetation types. Results show that ponderosa pine residents are more savvy about their risk and more active in mitigating that risk. Grassland and desert scrub residents consistently report a lower perceived risk to wildland fire than their forest counterparts and perform less mitigation. Results suggest that grassland and desert scrub communities may benefit from the production and dissemination of fire-related materials detailing risk specific to these areas.

The potential hazards to the environment and to human health posed by several types of household hazardous wastes (HHW) and waste products are discussed in this paper. This discussion serves to lead into an evaluation of the design and operating parameters of a collection program for these wastes, and the influence that various design parameters may have on the ability of the collection program to remove the wastes from uncontrolled waste stream. A review of existing HHW collection programs and of surveys regarding HHW's is presented. A survey of over 200 households in Vancouver was conducted to determine stored quantities and generation characteristics of specific household hazardous wastes. Respondents were also asked to identify their preferences and concerns regarding the design of a collection program for these wastes. The results were used to estimate the quantities of HHW disposed of annually, and the quantities and profiles of wastes that could be received at a typical depot collection program in the City. Different operating parameters for both depot collection programs and household collection programs were compared. Public willingness to participate in different collection programs was evaluated, and the collection needs of different residential areas was assessed. Significant differences in waste generation and storage practices were indicated to exist between types of dwellings, and between areas of differing economic status. Examples include the result that as many or more apartments residents generated HHW's as did detached dwelling residents, but in significantly smaller quantities, especially for liquid HHW's. Apartment residents also tended to store less HHW than detached dwelling residents. Between upper income and lower income detached dwelling areas, the composition of HHW's was significantly different, with automotive products more prevalent in the lower income area and paints more prevalent in the upper income area. Other differences between dwelling type and income level differentiated areas were also noted. Further observations included the difference in the willingness of respondents to participate in various types of collection programs, and the disposal practices for different waste types. Also, concerns of the respondents with regard to the issue of HHW in general and to each type of collection program in specific were solicited and discussed. Recommendations were made to assist in the design of an effective HHW collection program for the City of Vancouver.<br>Applied Science, Faculty of<br>Civil Engineering, Department of<br>Graduate

Previous research has shown time and risk preferences to be important factors when explaining a variety of behavioural patterns, such as smoking, obesity and savings behaviour, while we focus on the effect on financial behaviour and financial well-being. Financial behaviour is measured using a twelve-item scale with individuals’ self-stated reports of for example savings behaviour and credit card usage. To measure financial well-being, we construct a measure consisting of individual’s self-perceived current and future financial condition. Time preferences are revealed by matching questions and we use different ways of measuring risk, both self-stated risk attitudes and risky choices revealed by gambles. Our results show that increased short term patience, leads to better financial behaviour. Also, individuals with higher financial risk attitudes, exhibit better financial behaviour. Contradictory, regarding actual decisions, the impact is different and being loss averse, has a positive impact on financial behaviour. Financial well-being is on the other hand influenced positively by both more short and long term patience. It also increases with general and financial risk attitudes. Risky choices do not have an impact on financial well-being. We show that risk preferences are affected by time preferences. Having a high short term discount rate leads to higher financial risk attitudes and increases the likelihood of being loss averse, while it decreases the likelihood of being risk averse. Our results are important for understanding heterogeneity in financial decision making and the financial well-being it fathers. This quantitative study is based on a large, representative sample of the Swedish population (N=2063).<br>Tidigare forskning har visat att tids- och riskpreferenser är viktiga faktorer när man försöker förklara olika beteendemönster, såsom rökning, övervikt och sparande. Vi fokuserar på tids- och riskpreferensers effekt på finansiellt beteende och finansiellt välmående. Finansiellt beteende mäts genom tolv frågor, där individer exempelvis anger hur ofta man sparar eller använder kreditkort. För att mäta finansiellt välmående, konstruerar vi ett mått baserat på individens självupplevda nuvarande och framtida ekonomiska tillstånd. Tidspreferenser mäts genom “matching questions” och vi använder flera riskmått, både individers angedda riskattityder och riskfyllda val som visas genom riskfyllda spel. Våra resultat visar att ökat tålamod på kort sikt leder till bättre finansiellt beteende. Dessutom uppvisar individer med högre finansiella riskattityder bättre finansiellt beteende. I motsats till detta uppvisar dock, vid faktiska beslut, förlustaversiva individer bättre finansiellt beteende. Finansiellt välmående påverkas, å andra sidan, positivt av både kort- och långsiktigt tålamod. Det förbättras också av både högre generella och finansiella riskattityder. De riskfyllda valen påverkar inte finansiellt välmående. Vi visar att tidspreferenser påverkar riskpreferenser. Att ha högre tålamod på kort sikt leder till högre finansiell riskattityd och ökar sannolikheten för att vara förlustaversiv, medan det minskar sannolikheten att vara riskaversiv. Våra resultat är viktiga för att förstå heterogen finansiell beslutsfattning och det finansiella välmående det leder till. Denna kvantitativa studie baseras på ett stort, representativt sampel av den svenska befolkningen (N=2063).

The real estate market is constantly fluctuating and when the market slows down, it becomes more difficult to sell real estate. Because of this, it is of importance to construction companies to increase their understanding of homebuyer preferences in order for them to build condominiums that there is a demand for in a declining market, and thereby create a more liquid real estate market.  The aim of this thesis is to examine what the differences in preferences are between homebuyers who are positive and negative to the market development. To achieve this objective, three hypotheses were formulated regarding preferences of homebuyers with a negative outlook on the real estate market concerning location, size and functionality. Using a survey and questionnaire, data from potential homebuyers was collected at real estate viewings and via the internet. Once the respondents’ answers were collected, a principal component analysis was performed in order to find out how the different statements correlated with each other. After removing the statements that did not load correctly, three dimensions clearly corresponded to each of the three hypotheses. Testing the internal reliability for the three dimensions resulted in low values for dimensions 2 and 3, referring to size and functionality. However, internal reliability was good for dimension 1 referring to location. Performing an independent t-test on homebuyers with a positive and respective negative outlook on the market development showed no significant results for our hypotheses. The null-hypothesis is thus not rejected, meaning that for this sample, there are no significant differences in preferences of homebuyers with a positive and negative market outlook regarding location, size or functionality of their housing.<br>Fastighetsmarknaden befinner sig i konstant rörelse och när marknaden övergår i en negativ trend blir det svårare att sälja fastigheter. På grund av detta är det viktigt för byggföretag att öka sin förståelse av bostadsköpares preferenser så att de kan bygga efterfrågade bostäder på en nedåtgående marknad, och därigenom skapa en mer likvid fastighetsmarknad. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vad skillnaderna i preferenser är mellan bostadsköpare som är positiva och negativa till marknadsutvecklingen. För att uppnå detta mål formulerades tre hypoteser avseende preferenser hos bostadsköpare med negativ syn på marknadsutvecklingen gällande område, storlek och funktionalitet. Med hjälp av en enkät och frågeformulär samlades data från potentiella bostadsköpare vid bostadsvisningar och via internet. När respondenternas svar samlats in genomfördes en principalkomponentanalys för att ta reda på hur de olika påståendena korrelerade med varandra. Efter att ha tagit bort de påståenden som inte laddades korrekt var det tydligt att tre dimensioner korresponderade mot var och en av de tre hypoteserna. Test av den interna konsistensen för de tre dimensionerna resulterade i låga värden för dimensionerna 2 och 3, med hänvisning till storlek och funktionalitet. Den interna konsistensen var dock bra för dimension 1 med hänvisning till område. Ett oberoende t-test avseende bostadsköpare med positiv respektive negativ inställning till marknadsutvecklingen genomfördes men visade inte på några signifikanta resultat för våra hypoteser. Nollhypotesen kan således inte förkastas, vilket innebär att det för vårt indata inte finns några signifikanta skillnader i preferenser hos bostadsköpare med positiv respektive negativ syn på marknaden avseende område, storlek eller funktionalitet gällande deras bostäder.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.<br>Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 168 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-168). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Increasing the percentage of wind power in the United States electricity generation mix would facilitate the transition towards a more sustainable, low-pollution, and environmentally-conscious electricity grid. However, this effort is not without cost. Wind power generation is time-variable and typically not synchronized with electricity demand (i.e., load). In addition, the highest-output wind resources are often located in remote locations, necessitating transmission investment between generation sites and load. Furthermore, negative public perceptions of wind projects could prevent widespread wind development, especially for projects close to densely-populated communities. The work presented in my dissertation seeks to understand where it’s best to locate wind energy projects while considering these various factors. First, in Chapter 2, I examine whether energy storage technologies, such as grid-scale batteries, could help reduce the transmission upgrade costs incurred when siting wind projects in distant locations. For a case study of a hypothetical 200 MW wind project in North Dakota that delivers power to Illinois, I present an optimization model that estimates the optimal size of transmission and energy storage capacity that yields the lowest average cost of generation and transmission ($/MWh). I find that for this application of storage to be economical, energy storage costs would have to be $100/kWh or lower, which is well below current costs for available technologies. I conclude that there are likely better ways to use energy storage than for accessing distant wind projects. Following from this work, in Chapter 3, I present an optimization model to estimate the economics of accessing high quality wind resources in remote areas to comply with renewable energy policy targets. I include temporal aspects of wind power (variability costs and correlation to market prices) as well as total wind power produced from different farms. I assess the goal of providing 40 TWh of new wind generation in the Midwestern transmission system (MISO) while minimizing system costs. Results show that building wind farms in North/South Dakota (windiest states) compared to Illinois (less windy, but close to population centers) would only be economical if the incremental transmission costs to access them were below $360/kW of wind capacity (break-even value). Historically, the incremental transmission costs for wind development in North/South Dakota compared to in Illinois are about twice this value. However, the break-even incremental transmission cost for wind farms in Minnesota/Iowa (also windy states) is $250/kW, which is consistent with historical costs. I conclude that for the case in MISO, building wind projects in more distant locations (i.e., Minnesota/Iowa) is most economical. My two final chapters use semi-structured interviews (Chapter 4) and conjoint-based surveys (Chapter 5) to understand public perceptions and preferences for different wind project siting characteristics such as the distance between the project and a person’s home (i.e., “not-in-my-backyard” or NIMBY) and offshore vs. onshore locations. The semi-structured interviews, conducted with members of a community in Massachusetts, revealed that economic benefit to the community is the most important factor driving perceptions about projects, along with aesthetics, noise impacts, environmental benefits, hazard to wildlife, and safety concerns. In Chapter 5, I show the results from the conjoint survey. The study’s sample included participants from a coastal community in Massachusetts and a U.S.-wide sample from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Results show that participants in the U.S.-wide sample perceived a small reduction in utility, equivalent to $1 per month, for living within 1 mile of a project. Surprisingly, I find no evidence of this effect for participants in the coastal community. The most important characteristic to both samples was the economic benefits from the project – both to their community through increased tax revenue, and to individuals through reduced monthly energy bills. Further, participants in both samples preferred onshore to offshore projects, but that preference was much stronger in the coastal community. I also find that participants from the coastal community preferred expanding an existing wind projects rather than building an entirely new one, whereas those in the U.S.-wide sample were indifferent, and equally supportive of the two options. These differences are likely driven by the prior positive experience the coastal community has had with an existing onshore wind project as well as their strong cultural identity that favors ocean views. I conclude that preference for increased distance from a wind project (NIMBY) is likely small or non-existent and that offshore wind projects within 5 miles from shore could cause large welfare losses to coastal communities. Finally, in Chapter 6, I provide a discussion and policy recommendations from my work. Importantly, I recommend that future research should combine the various topics throughout my chapters (i.e., transmission requirements, hourly power production, variability impacts to the grid, and public preferences) into a comprehensive model that identifies optimal locations for wind projects across the United States.

The aim of this thesis is to carry out a marketing survey and to analyze the effectiveness of a TV campaign for ALBI company with major focus on answering a set of crucial research questions. The first part of the thesis covers such issues as marketing, marketing communication, advertising and marketing survey from a theoretical point of view. After that I introduce the ALBI company and its marketing activities. The practical part is devoted to the marketing survey itself. I present the preparatory phase, the realization of the survey and its results. The goal of the survey was to reveal consumer preferences and different mindsets within the Czech population. The main contribution of the thesis is the survey output and marketing recommendations which shall be used internally by ALBI in order to improve its processes within the marketing department.

This paper investigates political representation by exploring the relationship between citizens' preferences and the preferences of their elected representatives. Using Swedish survey data, the empirical analysis shows that voters and politicians have significantly different preferences for local welfare services, implying that voters do not elect representatives with the same preferences as their own. The results show that when comparing a politician of a certain age, gender, educational level and marital status, with a voter with identical characteristics, the politician still has preferences for a significantly higher level of spending on the locally provided services. Hence our results indicate that the representation of different socio-economic groups does not necessarily lead to a larger degree of representation of these groups' agendas. Moreover, we find the observed difference to be largest for the least salient expenditure item. We do, however, not find any evidence for differences in preferences between the two groups being associated with a decline in trust for politicians among voters

The most widely cited European data on work hours mismatches at the couple level date back to the 1990s. The general gist of analyses of these data was that "overworked" dual-earner couples frequently preferred work hours reductions, especially those with childcare responsibilities. This study uses more recent data from the European Social Survey (2010-12) to update the available evidence on actual and preferred breadwinner models and on the occurrence and determinants of work hours mismatches among couples in Europe. The focus is on differences between demographic groups and countries in the degree to which cohabiting couples are either underemployed (working fewer hours than desired) or overemployed (working more hours than desired). Our analyses show that about one third of couples are underemployed, while only one in ten report being overemployed. We identify low education and the presence of children below school age as risk factors for underemployment, whereas highly educated women and fathers of teenagers tend to be overemployed. In a comparison of 16 European countries, we find couples in Greece, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain to be most at risk of experiencing underemployment - in the countries that were most strongly affected by the recession. The effects of children on the experience of hours mismatches are found to vary across Europe - a particularly strong association of children below school age with parental underemployment is observed in Central and Eastern Europe, Finland, and Germany and a particularly weak one in Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, and Sweden.

Currently, southern Louisiana faces extreme land loss that could reach an alarming rate of about one football sized swath of land every hour. The combined effect of land subsidence and predicted sea level rise threaten the culture and livelihood of the residents living in this region. As the most vulnerable coastal population in Louisiana, the communities of south Terrebonne Parish are called to adapt by accommodating, protecting, or retreating from the impacts of climate change. For effective preparation planning, the state of Louisiana needs to 1) understand the adaptation preferences and responses of these residents and 2) involve these vulnerable communities in adaptation related decision making. The study uses a survey-based methodology to analyze current adaptation preferences. Findings suggest that protection is the preferred adaptation response. The present study additionally uses participatory techniques to develop a land loss awareness mobile application to illustrate the importance and benefits of community collaboration.

Farmland preservation has long been viewed by the public as a worthwhile endeavor. A public program can be set up to bring willing buyers and sellers together to facilitate the transfer of development rights. The farmer is paid for the opportunity cost of forfeiting the development rights to the land, while the general public is taxed the amount of their total benefit created by the existence of farmland. Through the data from an attribute-based choice survey (conducted in four geographic areas) the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of the public to preserve farmland that exhibited certain attributes, was estimated. The attributes included different use (grain, hay, vegetable, pasture, forest), location (near urban), quality (prime), size (varied acreage relative to geographic area sampled), and cost (varied costs from $3 to $50) components. Selection bias was tested for in order to confirm that the respondents are an unbiased representation of the geographic areas sampled. If selection bias was present, it would need to be corrected for in order to aggregate the survey results to the population of the geographic areas. Selection bias was tested for using a bivariate probit model with sample selection, a variation on the Heckman correction model. Selection bias was not significant, so the choice model was estimated using a probit model. The response was dependent on the use, location, quality, size, and cost components. Based on the parameter estimates, the geographic areas were compared using the scale parameter. A variation of the Swait and Louviere method was used to find the optimal scale parameter ratios between pair-wise geographic areas. Heterogeneity of the parameter estimates as well as heterogeneity of variances was tested. Prime farmland was significant and positive in all geographic areas, suggesting it should be included in the national ranking criteria for a farmland preservation program. WTP by household for each attribute was reported. Additionally, the WTP was aggregated to provide a hypothetical range of the monetary benefit farmland provides for the residents of each geographic area.<br>Master of Science

Master of Science<br>Department of Agricultural Economics<br>Vincent R. Amanor-Boadu<br>This study focuses on determining what key differences predispose a consumer to regularly purchase and be willing to pay a premium for sustainably-produced fruits and vegetables. Organic, local, and small farm are the three cases used in the study. The research used a structured questionnaire to conduct an online survey of U.S. internet users with email addresses in the spring of 2011 with logit and ordered logit regression used as the analytical tools. Cost was the most important factor for consumers who did not purchase organic and local products more frequently while unavailability was the principal reason for not consuming produces from small farms. The study showed consumers of small farm products often (98.5 percent of the time) consume local fruits and vegetables also but not the other way around. The relevant socio-economic factors for determining organic purchasing frequency were gender, household size, and education. For small farm they were the ability to influence local change and the respondents’ frequency of purchase of local products. Socio-economic characteristics did not prove to be a factor in local purchasing decisions. Regular purchasers of organic fruits and vegetables provided a consistent perception of organic products with the USDA certified organic definition. Local consumers reported that taste and freshness are the most defining characteristics of local products while small farm consumers could not provide a clear picture of the definitional statements defining fruits and vegetables produced by a small farm. This implied that there is need for more work by small farm producers to differentiate themselves in the market. On the contrary, both local and organic producers have a clear point of differentiation to reach their customers. Industry marketing efforts can be greatly improved by focusing on the characteristics of the consumers they are trying to reach. Our results can be further investigated by completing the following recommendations. First, to conduct more targeted studies such as interviews or focus groups, second, to gain a deeper understanding of how consumers perceive these attributes and third to conduct a comprehensive study on the similarities and differences between small farm and local consumers.

En France le traitement du cancer est principalement dominé par les plateaux techniques hospitaliers, mais ceux-ci sont saturés et jugés trop coûteux. Pour ces raisons, les décideurs publics souhaitent développer des structures alternatives : l’hospitalisation à domicile ou les structures de proximités (SP) comme les maisons de santé pluridisciplinaires. Objectif :-Etudier l’adéquation entre les politiques publiques de santé et les préférences des patients et de la population générale.-Tester l’acceptabilité et la validité de la méthode de l’évaluation contingente (EV) (enquête de Disposition A Payer : DAP) comme moyen d’obtenir les préférences en population générale afin de guider la décision publique.Méthode : Nous avons développé un outil d’information et d’aide à la décision informatisé qui contenait 1. L’information sur les trois options de prise en charge : hôpital, domicile, SP 2. Une enquête de mesure des préférences 3. Des questionnaires socio-démographiques et de recueil de l’expérience de soins 4. Pour la population générale uniquement : une EV.Résultats :L’enquête auprès des patients a été réalisée dans 3 établissements (n=386), celle en population générale a été conduite sur un échantillon représentatif de la Région Rhône-Alpes (n=1001). L’hôpital était l’option préférée pour les deux populations 71% des patients contre 42,6% pour la population générale, suivi du domicile avec 24% pour les patients et 38,8% pour la population générale. L’acceptabilité et la validité de l’EC en population générale semble être confirmée par le faible nombre de protestataires et d’outliers ainsi que par la corrélation entre les DAP, le revenu et les préférences<br>In France, cancer treatments are mainly provided in hospitals but they are expensive, crowded and mainly located around big cities. For these reasons, French public health decision makers wish to develop alternative strategies such as home care and proximity structures (typically GPs, nurses and physiotherapists working together in the same medical office). ObjectivesTo study the adequacy between French health policy and patients’ &amp; general population’s preferences. To test the acceptability and validity of the contingent valuation (CV) method as a mean of obtaining values in the general population to guide public decision makers. Methods: We developed a computerized decision aid composed of: 1. Information on the disease management options: hospital, home care and proximity structures; 2. A survey to measure preferences. 3. A socio demographic and an experience of care questionnaire. 4. For the general population only, a CV survey (willingness to pay: WTP) using a payment card was developed Results: The patients survey has been realized in three hospitals(n=386), whereas the general population survey has been conducted in a representative sample of the Rhône-Alps region (n=1001). Both populations preferred hospital, but the proportions are very different. Indeed, hospital is the preferred option for 71% of patients and only for 42,6% of the general population. Moreover, as compared to patients, the general population more often prefer PS, respectively 18,6% and 5 %. The acceptability and validity of the CV method in the general population seemed to be confirmed by the few rates of protesters and outliers, the correlation between preferences, income and WTP

Until the last half century, land development patterns in the Intermountain West were designed after the Mormon settlement pattern. With its gridiron streets and in-town farmsteads, this pattern gave families the opportunity to grow crops and raise a few animals on their one acre or less in town with the added advantage of having a social life. Over the last century, small farms have dwindled and large farms have increased in size. However, in the Intermountain West the farmstead tradition continues with families who grow gardens and raise animals on their large city lots, who value self-sufficiency, and who thrive in wide open spaces. To better understand the land uses and preferences of this population, a research survey was mailed to a sample pool of residents of Cache Valley, Utah who live on large lots with animal rights. They contributed an array of data about their backgrounds and how they are specifically using their land. Their responses validated the existence of a continued agrarian culture and gave insight on how they felt about trends in conservation subdivisions and common open space. A range of opinions about ideal lot size supported rural planners' suggestions to develop lots of varying sizes to meet the needs of a diverse population. Small farms on large lots can be a valuable part of a sustainable urban and rural environment. Local vegetables and agricultural products bring nature and natural processes back to an urban setting and reduce the environmental footprint imposed by extensive shipping. Culturally, small farmers provide a connection to the past and fulfill a lifestyle choice for a rural-minded population. Particularly in the Intermountain West, planners need to integrate these small farms into their developments to preserve the rural character of towns and cities of the region.

The main purpose of the diploma thesis is to determine the willingness of people visiting the Eastern Slovak dam Ružín to pay for improving water quality, namely for the environmental good. Willingness to pay is determined by questionnaire investigation the contingent valuation method. Dam is a public good, which has no owner. We all use it without someone to care for it. This use is not positive, but negative in terms of pollution, clogging of toxic sediments. The theoretical part is devoted to construction and the need to build dam as well as environmental problems, which occur at the dam. This is related to the problem of public good and "the tragedy of the commons." There are the contingent valuation method and development of the questionnaire described at the end of theoretical part. The practical part consists of the evaluation questionnaire investigation and the linear regression model in terms of the parameters under which they were created identifiers variables and point estimates. Finally, it is converted by statistical analysis of the impact of variables on the amount that people are willing to pay.

Les enquêtes préférences déclarées (EPD) reposent sur des mises en situation hypothétiques. Face à une situation de choix construite de toute pièce par l’analyste, chaque répondant doit déclarer le choix qu’il ferait s’il y était confronté en réalité. Chaque situation se présente comme la combinaison de plusieurs paramètres. Face à chacune des diverses situations qui lui sont présentées successivement, l’enquêté va devoir faire le choix de celles lui convenant le mieux. Au fil du questionnaire, ses réponses révèleront l’importance qu’il donne à chaque paramètre et contribueront à une meilleure appréhension de ses préférences et de ses choix. Ce travail s’articule autour de trois études de cas mises en œuvre dans le cadre d’études menées par des opérateurs de transport (SNCF – thème : réforme de tarification sociale), des gestionnaires d’infrastructure (RFF – thème : effets du cadencement sur l’attractivité du train) ou des organismes de recherche (LET et PREDIT – thème : impact de politiques de rationnement du carburant sur la mobilité automobile). L’objet de ces études nécessitait la mise en œuvre d’enquêtes préférences déclarées. La conception, la mise en œuvre et l’analyse des EPD ont été réalisées dans le cadre de cette thèse avec un soucis permanent de contrôle de chacun des paramètres en vue de garantir la qualité des résultats obtenus.Selon les objectifs de l’étude, des traitements économétriques divers ont été utilisés pour analyser les données récoltées.Finalement, chacune de ces mises en place a contribué à renforcer notre conviction que les EPD constituent un outil complet. Ce travail contribue finalement, à son échelle, à crédibiliser un peu plus les méthodes de préférences déclarées et invite à repositionner cet outil d’analyse comme pivot de toute réflexion complexe dont le protocole est à réinventer lors de chaque construction, plutôt que tel qu’un procédé connu, livré clé en main, dont l’application suit une logique mécanique<br>Stated preference surveys are based on choice sets composed by the analyst and proposed to some respondents. Each situation of the choice set is the combination of pre-determined attributes. While declaring the choice they would make if they were confronted to the same situation in reality, respondents reveal their preferences and their perceptions of the attributes.This Phd work presents the results of three stated preference surveys applied in the camp of public transportation. All surveys form a part of more general research programs handled for the sake: of the French railway operator, known as the SNCF (2006/2007) ; of the French railway network administrator, called RFF (2008) ; and of the French research, experimentation and innovation program in land transport, named PREDIT (2010). The use of stated preference methodology was required in order to deal efficiently with the issues of each of those research programs (respectively treating of social pricing ; train supply policy ; fuel rationing policies). The conception, the implementation and the analysis of the surveys have all been carried out during this Phd work in order to warranty control of each parameter and thus high quality results.In accordance with program research objectives, different econometrics treatments have been implemented.This Phd work shows how stated preference surveys may deal with different complex issues and therefore promote the use of this method. Each of these studies have finally strengthened the conviction that stated preferences constitute an efficient and complete tool

This diploma thesis entitled "Design of Promotion Strategie in the Hospitality Industry - a Comparable Study for the Czech Republic and Ireland" addresses strategic practices in different countries and further applies them. The aim was to assess whether it is possible to apply the same advertising procedures as in Ireland at domestic country. The evaluation was carried out on the basis of a semi-structured interview with a Irish resident working in the hospitality industry and a questionnaire survey which took place in the Czech Republic. In the conclusion the are formulated specific steps inspired by Ireland which can be applied in the Czech Republic.

Purpose: To understand guardian and child preferences for the appearance of their pediatric dentist. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study using survey methodology with patients and parents that attended the VCU Pediatric Dental clinic. Methods: A total sample of 100 guardians and 97 pediatric patient participants completed the computer-based questionnaire. Four subjects were asked to pose for photographs wearing various combinations of attire (professional, casual, white coat, scrubs). Results: Among guardians, 56% reported preferring a provider in scrubs, with white coat the second most preferred attire (39%) for their children. For pediatric patients, scrubs were still most often selected, but at a lower rate (43%). White coat remained the second most preferred option at 37%. Conclusions: Children and parents have strong perceptions and preferences regarding their dentists’ attire. The results of this study can be used, by providers, to improve the comfort, and acceptance of care by patients and guardians.

Orientador: Maria Aparecida Azevedo Pereira da Silva<br>Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T02:26:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Neumann_Dora_D.pdf: 911952 bytes, checksum: 0a74640e759939b4409a9f22d1ce6246 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007<br>Resumo: Adolescência é um estágio da vida do indivíduo marcado por intensas mudanças fisiológicas, cognitivas e sócio-culturais, que afetam seu comportamento alimentar e saúde. Práticas alimentares inadequadas representam riscos imediatos para a saúde do adolescente e trazem implicações negativas para a sua saúde na idade adulta. Consequentemente, estudos que avaliam o estado nutricional e a adequação do consumo dietético de adolescentes são importantes e têm sido realizados no Brasil. Entretanto, em pesquisas nacionais de avaliação do consumo dietético da população, a utilização das novas recomendações nutricionais, as Dietary References Intakes- DRIs, como valores de referência, são ainda raras. Por sua vez, a prática regular de atividades físicas apresenta uma relação inversa com os riscos de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e tem um efeito positivo na qualidade de vida do indivíduo. Assim, é importante avaliá-la concomitantemente à avaliação do estado nutricional, do consumo dietético e das predisposições e tendências no consumo dos alimentos pelos indivíduos. Pelo exposto, o presente estudo teve como objetivos avaliar: i) o estado nutricional dos adolescentes do Colégio Técnico da UNICAMP, identificando riscos nutricionais, ii) o consumo alimentar dos mesmos e a adequação da ingestão dietética de macronutrientes e micro-nutrientes em relação às recomendações nutricionais preconizadas pelas Dietary References Intakes ¿DRIs. iii) o perfil de atividades físicas desempenhadas pelos adolescentes e, finalmente, iv) desenvolver uma escala para avaliar as crenças e atitudes de adolescentes em relação aos alimentos, segmentando o grupo estudado de acordo com seus critérios e estratégias na seleção dos alimentos consumidos. Participaram do estudo 160 adolescentes com idade entre 13 e 19 anos amostrados de uma população de 759 alunos. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal com tomada de medidas antropométricas de peso e estatura e realização de registro alimentar de 3 dias não consecutivos, sendo um deles de final de semana. Para a classificação do Índice de massa corporal (IMC), utilizou-se os pontos de corte por idade preconizados pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS, 1995). Os dados de consumo alimentar foram processados através do Programa Virtual Nutri. A prevalência de inadequação de nutrientes foi estimada utilizando-se o método ¿EAR como ponto de corte¿ preconizado pelo Food and Nutrition Board/Institute of Medicine (IOM) utilizando-se programas computacionais em linguagem SAS (versão 8.2). A normalidade dos dados foi testada pelo método Kolmogorov- Smirnov, realizando-se uma ANOVA para os cálculos da variância intrapessoal. A média de consumo de cada nutriente foi ajustada para remoção da variância intrapessoal elaborando-se a distribuição ajustada de cada nutriente para a estimativa da prevalência de inadequação. Dados de atividade física foram coletados através de questionário específico. Para a medida de crenças e atitudes desenvolveu-se uma escala de atitudes em relação à seleção dos alimentos consumidos, partindo-se de um levantamento qualitativo de itens sobre o tema entre os adolescentes, à partir do qual foram formulados os itens que compuseram a Escala Likert de atitudes do estudo. Nesta etapa participaram 182 adolescentes, os quais expressaram seu grau de concordância ou discordância de cada item da escala de atitudes elaborada utilizando uma escala mista de sete pontos (1= discordo muito, 7 = concordo muito). Os dados obtidos foram analisados utilizando-se médias, distribuições de freqüência, coeficiente de Pearson, Coeficiente alfa Cronbach , ANOVA, Teste de Tukey e Análise de Componentes Principais, utilizando o software SAS. Os resultados identificaram que 9,7% dos adolescentes do sexo feminino e 19,4% do sexo masculino apresentaram sobrepeso. Cerca de 29% das adolescentes apresentaram excesso no consumo de lipídeos enquanto 12% apresentaram deficiência no consumo de carboidratos. Entre os adolescentes de sexo masculino, verificou-se alta porcentagem (40,3%) com excesso de consumo de lipídeos e 16,4% com deficiência no consumo de carboidratos. O percentual médio de adequação da energia ingerida foi de 87,6% para o sexo feminino e de 75% para o sexo masculino. Para o sexo feminino foram verificadas inadequações no consumo de ácido fólico e magnésio em 100% da amostra de adolescentes, fósforo em 96,2%, Vit. E em 48,8%, zinco em 42,5% e Vit. C em 21,5%. Para o sexo masculino observaram-se percentuais de inadequações de 99,4% para ácido fólico e magnésio, de 40,5% para o fósforo, de 20,3% para a Vit. C e 15,9% para a Vit. E. O consumo médio de cálcio foi de 642,0 mg para o sexo feminino e de 851,6 mg para o sexo masculino, valores muito inferiores à Adequate Intake - AI (1300 mg) estabelecida para cálcio, sugerindo também alta deficiência no consumo deste nutriente. Entre os adolescentes, 20% dos indivíduos do sexo feminino e 30% do sexo masculino declararam omitir o desjejum, enquanto cerca de 50% dos adolescentes omitiam os lanches da manhã e tarde. Entre os adolescentes do sexo masculino predominaram atividades físicas intensas (73,1%) inclusive para aqueles com sobrepeso. Entre as adolescentes do sexo feminino predominaram atividades físicas moderadas (41,9%). A escala de atitudes sobre critérios utilizados pelos adolescentes para seleção dos alimentos consumidos foi composta por 34 itens abordando aspectos nutricionais e de saúde dos alimentos consumidos, aspectos sensoriais, facilidade de preparo, marca, influências de pais e amigos, entre outros. A escala apresentou um alfa Cronbach de 0,70. Análise de Componentes Principais associada a ANOVA e Teste de Tukey identificaram dois segmentos de adolescentes: o primeiro, correspondente a 49% dos indivíduos da amostra, que privilegiava os aspectos nutricionais e de saúde dos alimentos na seleção de suas dietas e outro, correspondente a 51% dos indivíduos que valorizava mais que o primeiro grupo, os aspectos sensoriais dos alimentos a serem consumidos, principalmente o sabor. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade de implementação de programas de educação nutricional junto aos adolescentes da Instituição visando habilitá-los a uma melhor seleção dos alimentos consumidos que permitam corrigir as inadequações nutricionais identificadas<br>Abstract: Adolescence is a period of an individual¿s life which is characterized by intense physiological, cognitive and social-cultural changes that can affect both alimentary behavior and health. Inadequate alimentary practices represent an immediate risk for an adolescent¿s health and produce negative health related implications during adult age. As a result, studies that evaluate the nutritional state and the adequacy of adolescent dietary consumptions are important. Although these studies have been conducted in Brazil, they rarely use the new nutritional recommendations (Dietary References Intakes or DRIs) as reference values. On the other hand, the regular practice of physical activities presents an inverse relation with non contagious chronic illnesses risks, and has a positive effect in the quality of an individual¿s life. For this reason, it is important to evaluate one¿s physical activity level, as well as, their nutritional state, dietary consumption and preferences and trends in food consumption. Accordingly, the present study had as it¿s main objectives to evaluate: i) the nutritional state of adolescents from Unicamp¿s technical secondary school, identifying nutritional risks; ii) the teenagers food consumption and their adequacy of macro and micronutrients ingestion in relation to the DRIs (Dietary References Intakes); iii) the adolescents physical activity profiles and, finally; iv) to develop a scale for evaluating the adolescents beliefs and attitudes in relation to foods. For item ¿iv¿ we aimed to segment the group under study in accordance to their criteria and strategies adopted for food selection. Thus, 160 adolescents, with age between 13 and 19 years, were chosen to participate in this study, from a population of 759 pupils. This was a transversal study in which anthropometric weight and height measurements were taken. Additionally, an alimentary registration questionnaire was applied in 3 not consecutive days, where one of such days was on a weekend. For the classification of the IMC, the OMS cutting age points (1995) were used. Moreover, the alimentary consumption data was processed through the Nutri Virtual program. The prevalence of nutrients inadequacy was estimated using the "EAR cut-point method¿ followed by the methodology specified by Food and Nutrition Board/ Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the statistical program SAS (version 8.2). The data¿s normal distribution was tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov method; ANOVA test was performed to estimate the intrapersonal variance. The average consumption of each nutrient was adjusted to remove the intrapersonal variance. This was done through the elaboration of an adjusted distribution of each nutrient with the purpose of estimating the prevalence of inadequacy. At the same time, data relating to physical activity habits was collected through a specific questionnaire. Finally, a scale of attitudes in relation to food selection was developed. The scale¿s items were based in a qualitative survey performed with the target adolescents. 182 adolescents participated in this study phase expressing their degree of agreement or disagreement with relation to each item from the aforementioned scale, using a category scale of seven points (1 = I disagree totally, 7 = I agree totally). The data collected was analyzed based on averages, distributions of frequency, Pearson coefficients, alpha Cronbach coefficients, ANOVA, Tukey tests and Principal Components Analysis through the use of the SAS software. The results identified that 9.7% of the female adolescents and 19.4% of the males were overweight. About 29% of the adolescents presented excess in lipids consumption while 12% presented deficiency in carbohydrate consumption. Of the male subjects, a high percentage (40.3%), was verified as being in the lipids consumption excess group and 16.4% presented carbohydrates consumption deficiency. The average percentage of ingested energy adequacy was 87.6% for the female subjects and 75.0% for the males. Additionally, female subjects¿ inadequacies were seen for folic acid and magnesium consumption (100% of the individuals), as well as for phosphorus (96.2%), for vit E (48.8%), for zinc (42.5%) and for vit C (21.5%). In its turn, males¿ inadequacies were detected for folic acid and magnesium consumption (99,4%) ,as well as for phosphorus (40.5%), for vit. C (20.3% ) and for vit. E (15.9%). Likewise, the average calcium consumption was 642.0 mg for the females and 851.6 mg for the males. These intakes are very low when compared to the Adequate Intake ¿ AI recommendations (1300 mg) established for calcium, suggesting high deficiency in this nutrient consumption. Among the adolescents, 20% of the females and 30% of the males declared to skip breakfast, while 50% of the individuals skipped morning and afternoon snacks. Among male adolescents, intense physical activities have predominated (73.1%), including the over-weighted individuals. In the other hand, moderate physical activities were predominant (41.9%) among female subjects. The scale of attitudes developed in this study contained 34 items related with nutritional and health aspects of foods, as well as their sensory aspects, easy-ofpreparation, food label, among others. The scale presented an alpha Cronbach of 0.70 and the Principal Components Analysis, the ANOVA and Tukey test of its data identified two segments of adolescents: the first segment, corresponded to 49% of the individuals, favored the nutritional and health aspects of the food when selecting them; the second segment, corresponded to 51% of the individuals, who valued the sensory aspects of the food, notably the flavor. These results point to the necessity of implementing a nutritional education program in this institution, in order to guide adolescents in making better food choices, and thus, to prevent nutritional inadequacies<br>Doutorado<br>Doutor em Tecnologia de Alimentos

The main objective of this work is to analyze current trends in contactless payments and consequently implement it on the Czech market. On this base this thesis deals with several wearable devices. Furthermore on this base is also working in the application part, where is one of the secondary objectives of the work to determine consumer preferences on the market of the Czech Republic. One of the secondary objectives is create a brief summary of the history of payment cards and within the sociological aspect to find a certain analogy in introducing innovations in the field of payments towards current trends in contactless methods. Within the secondary objectives there are simultaneously defined key assumptions forms of payment for success on the market. The following section focuses on electronic payments. Specifically, it deals with trends in electronic payment services, where for its implementation aren´t required the physical presence of the card or chip. Furthermore there are analyzed alternative paths in the current payment methods, namely peer-to-peer platforms. On these platforms is based shared economy, which also represents an interesting potential for the possible development of payment field. Chapter with alternative methods for cashless is finished by analyzing digital currencies. The hypothesis of this thesis is whether Apple can have an impact on the area of contactless payments and how it can affect the entire sector. Part of the hypothesis is the claim that Apple manages to change the area of contactless payments, such as happenede in the music industry with iTunes and then in the telecommunications industry with a revolutionary iPhone. Potential benefit of Apple is defined by the method of description. Potential contribution of Apple Pay is characterized by logical deduction base on previous relationships. Conclusion is by quantitative research method, namely through the consumer research, assessed consumer preferences in the Czech Repulic and is also evaluated the hypothesis of potential benefits of Apple contactless payments.

The study objective was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of preference-based measures in osteoporosis. Preference scenarios were constructed for marker health states associated with osteoporosis using the feeling thermometer. The reliability, validity and sensitivity to change of these measures and the standard gamble were evaluated in 42 women from four different patient subgroups. The four subgroups of women included women commencing hormone replacement, and women with recent wrist, vertebral or hip fractures. The reason for looking at different groups of women was to establish the feasibility of eliciting preferences in women with varying degrees of osteoporosis. Also, for cost-effectiveness analyses in osteoporosis, estimates of quality of life are required for the four different subgroups. The validity and sensitivity to change of the feeling thermometer and standard gamble were compared with the Health Utilities Index (HUI) and SF-36. All subgroups were reassessed 2-3 months following their first interview. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Thesis: S.M. in Transportation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2015.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 123-129).<br>This thesis presents the design of a context-aware stated preference survey that will be used to estimate the demand for new transportation modes and services. It builds on the Future Mobility Survey, a smartphone-based prompted-recall survey that accurately gathers revealed preference information on respondents' travel patterns. By using this GPS data as the context for a hypothetical stated preference survey, we can present realistic travel scenarios to respondents that pivot off their actual behavior. The approach is the first of its kind to combine GPS and external data to generate hypothetical scenarios for a large number of modes. It does this by making use of freely available web services to gather information on travel times and distances on many modes, which then informs the presentation of these modes in the hypothetical scenario. The travel scenario is presented using a web interface that mimics trip-planning software, and the software can be readily applied across different cities and countries.<br>by Nathanael Christopher James Cox.<br>S.M. in Transportation